Well casing joint



Oct. 11, 1932.

-H. E. LAWRENCE ET AL WELL CASING JOINT Filed March 7. 1929 o Hmllsl nfi k y m o m m v Patented Get. 11, 1932 m OFFI E H' irtonn nfnnwnnncn AND onrvnn I-r. cnorm, OF BnArRrcn, NEBRASKA, ns'sren o'ns) urov DEMPSTER MILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, orn'narnrcnnnnnnskn, n con-' ronn'rron or NEBRASKA i This'invention relatesto certain improve ments in well casing joints; and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily recognized and understood'by those skilledv 'in the arts involved in the lightof the following explanation and detailed description of the accompanying drawing illustrating what we atpr'esent consider to be the preferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of our invention from among various other forms, arrangements, combinations and constructions ofwhich the inventionis capable within the-Spirit and the scope thereof.

p "The casing employed for and inwells is constructed or manufactured in sections of any suitable or desired lengths, which sections are and must be joined, connected, or coupled together'end to end at and in thewell to form the "casing therefor'and therein.

nectingand coupling of the sections together atthe Well presents considerable difficulties and problems with the prevailing methods and: constructions which render this opera- I tio'n unsatisfactory and an expensive one in time and labor with frequent ineflicient joints or connections between the sections resulting; With thelarger diameters of casing, the ends of thesecti ons'are generally. riveted together toiform the coup'lingor jointtherebetiveen,

andthe-riveting is usually carried out by swinging or placing a workman downin the joined sections to back up the rivets at the joints as they are positioned and riveted from theoutside of the casing by another workman.

This method is not satisfactory, and with the smaller casing diameters which make it impossible to locate a workman therein, the

riveting of the sections together is rendered impractical and inefficient.

' The present invention holds as a particular object the elimination of the difficulties and disadvantagesencountered in the coupling and connecting of well casing sections together by thewprovision of adesign and con structionof well casing joint which embodies a'niechani'cally, simple yet efficientfastening means through the medium of which the ends of well casing sections designed in accordance with the invention, can be quickly fastened and secured together by a single workman Application filed March 7,

The coning or tubing WELL CASING JOINT 1929. SeriaINo. 345,152. g

from the outside of the casing form-the re i quilted-substantially leak-proof joint between the sections; and the invention further holds a general object thereof, the provision of such a joint andthe fastening means thereof, which so designed as to be'capable of general application to and use with all types-of" piping, tubing and suchlike, for securing and ointing sections thereof together.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a design and*construction of fastening members for securing and "joining the sections of well casing together to for m a secure, tight joint between the sections, which members are insertable and can be secured in joint forming position and relat tlon in, the sectionsifrom the exteriorof the caslngj and are applicableto use on and with all types of well casing, as well as forluse with various types'and constructions ofpip generally, to secure sections" thereof together. i 05" WVith the foregoing general objects and certain otherfobjects' and results' in "view which willbe readily recognized from the following description, the inventionconsists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangementsof"parts," as will be more fully and particularly re ferred to and specified hereinafter. Referring to the accompanying drawing: a ig. 1 is a viewin elevation of a section of wellcasingzconstructed in accordance with certain features of the invention.-

Fig. 2 is a-view in elevation of a makeup section of casing embodying the invention, and providing a relatively short section for use in building up a length of jointed casing where a shorter length than the section of Fig. 1 may be required.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary view of a joint of the invention formed between casing sections, a portion of the joint being broken away and in Vertical section, and showing the fastening members of the invention in appliedajoint forming position securing the ends of the sections together.

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary view in elevation of the joint formed between connected sections at the interior of the casing, and

showing a fastening member in position securing the sections together. i Fig. is a View in side elevation of a fastelling member or bolt for securing the casmg sections together to form the joint there between.

V Aform and adaptation of the princlples and various features of the invention is shown inthe accompanying drawing and described m herein, purely by way "of example and not of limitation, as applied to and used in conmotion with well casing of the riveted sheet.

metal types, but it is to be understood that those features of the invention incorporated in the cjasir' 1g, as well as those features presented'by the fastening or joint forming elements, are not confined to'such types or constructionsofcasingsbut are capable of general application to casing, of other types 20,.Wh8l similar-or equivalent conditions pre vail,-;a's well as application to and use with piping or tubing generally, of any type for anypurpose, and the invention contemplates and includes such other .uses and adaptations.

3; .In Fig. 1 of the drawing a section of well casing'lO is shown, which section may be and'is'hereintermed for the purposes of this descriptiomxa standard or regular section of wellcasing, as manufactured and so :delivered, to, and atthe well. The regular section 10, in the example hereof, is formed.

of a series of sub-sections .11 constructed of sheet metal, or other suitable material, .bent

or otherwise formed to provide the relatively short, tubular lengths or sections of casing with their sideseams formed by rivets or the 1 like 12-. The sections 11,'in; this instance,

are slightly taperedand are fitted together cndto end by inserting the tapered. end of one section llinto the larger end of the next section, sothat these ends overlap and are then rivetedltogetherby rivets 14, or other suitablefastening means, to formthe'regular I sectionlO: The sections 11 are so joined or 1 xsecured together with the riveted side seams of adjacent sections disposed at' opposite sides of the regular section, or staggered,"as

will be, clear from Fig. -1, and in the example here shown the regular section 10 is. formed 1 of three of'the sections 11, although any desired'number of sections may be employed to provide a regular section of the required length. The casing section 10 is formed with one end thereof swaged out or enlarged to' provide the bell or end" socketi15, as shown particularly in'Fig. 1, with no intention of limiting the invention to such end formation. 3 In accordance Twith'one feature of the invention,fwhat for purposes'of the present de- 6O scription is referred to as a make-up sec-: tion 20, is provided. This ,sectio'n20 (See'- Fig. 2) is of a shorter length than the -re-,

' ferred toregular sections'10, and in the present example'is, formediof Sheet 'metal or 65011181 suitable materiah'intthe same manner as sections-11, or otherwise if desired, witha side seam formed byrivets 21. One end of the'make-up section 20 is flared or swaged out to provide the enlarged bell mouth or socket 22 for receiving the plain endof another section, while the oppositeend of section 20 is plain to fit into the socket of another section. The purpose of the make-up section is to providea short section ofc'asing which can be used to complete the length of casing-in a well, or otherinstallation. ofthe casing, where a regular section may be found too long; or where for ease of installation and machine operation the use of a short section or sections may be found desirable or expedient. The relatively short make-up sections 20 thus eliminate the necessity of cutting the sections 10, or of cutting the rivets thereof, in the field and mak ing provision for. fastening: together the cut or reduced length sections.

In forming a well casing from the-sections 10, a section is disposed for mounting in a well with its, plain end uppermost, and an-' other section 10 is then mounted thereon with the socket 15 thereof fitted over and receiving the plain end of the other section,

after which the fitted ends of the sections-are fastened together to connect the sections and form a suitable joint therebetween. These operations are continued and sections 10 are added and joined together until the desiredlength or depth of casing in the well issecured,a make-up section or sections 20 being added at any point or points if found desirable, and joined with the adjacent sections'in the same manner as'the sections 10.

The invention further provides as a fundamental principle and feature thereof, the elimination of the difficulties encountered in connecting or securing the sections of well: cas ng together and in forming the oints therebetween', so that all of these operations can be performed from the exterior of the casing to produce the desired rigid, substantially leak proof'joint between the cas or wall of the bell 15 formed at the opposite end. Each make-up section 20 .is formed with exactly similarslots 24 therearound at the'opposite ends thereof, and spaced the same distance apart as the slots 17 in the sections 10. (See Fig. 2.) The slots 17: ateach end of av section '10 are formed and positioned so that they are accurately uniformly spaced apart around the casing and the same accuv tions can thus be readily alined and the sections placed in their required relative positions fitted together for connection and jointing.

Fastening or bolting members or elements 30 (see Fig. 5) areprovided, capable of insertion in and through alined sectionslots from the exterior of the casing, and for operation to bolt .and tightly secure the overlapped ends of the casing sections together to form the rigid, substantially leak proof joint therebetween. In the embodiment of these members 30 presented herewith as an example, each comprises a bolt or stem 31 of'a of the slots. with a squared or fiat faced portion 33 (see diameter to pass through the slots 17 or 24c, and having a T head 32 atone end thereof (-see Figs. 3 and 1) of a length and width permitting such head being passed through slots 17 or'24, when disposed longitudinally The bolt or stem 31 is formed 7 Fig. 3) adjacent its inner or head end, which vportion is of such dimensions as to fit into the slots 17 or 24 and engage the side Walls thereof to prevent turning or rotation of the stem, while the outer end length of the stem is exteriorly screw threaded to receive a nut 34. A washer 35 is also provided for fitting over and receiving the bolt or stem 31 of each member 30, and for disposition on the stem 31 between the head32 thereof and nut 34, for a purpose and to secure a result appearing and explained hereinafter. 7

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, with the ends of two of the sections 10 overlapped and the respective slots 17 thereof alined, the sections are tightlysecured and coupled together by'the bolting or fastening members 30 to form a tight joint between the section ends, in the following manner. A

fastening member 30, with washer 35 and nut 34 screwed on stem 31 and placed at the extreme end of the stem opposite head 32, is inserted inwardly from the exterior of the casing through each opening formed through the overlapped ends of the sections 10 by the alined slots 17, with the head 32 thereof innermost, and disposed longitudinally of the slots so as to pass freely therethrough to the interiorof the casing. Each member 30 is inserted a sufficient distance through the slots to clear the squared portion 33 of the bolt from engagement with the slots, and the bolt is then turned to position the head 32 transversely of the slots and thebolt drawn outwardly to bring the squared portion 33 thereof into the slots to hold the member 30 against rotation. With the members 30 in the foregoingposition in the slots held against rotation, each nut 34 thereof is then screwed inwardly thereon to draw the heads 32into en gagement with-the inner side of the casing and force the washers 35 against the outer side of the casing, over and closing the slots 17 and binding andjoining the overlapped ends of the sections together to form a tight, rigid joint the'rebetween. With a fasteningmember 30 secured in and through each pair of the al'lned slots 17, spaced around the lappedends of the sections, a tight joint is" formed between the sections, which are tightly and rigidly secured together, while'the washers 35 close and seal the slots to prevent leakage, or passage ofsand,-grit, dirt and the like, and thus form a substantially leak-proof joint between the casing sections.

When a make-up section 20 is used with casing sections 10, the fastening members 30 are employed in the manner above described to secure the sections together and form the required joint therebetween. In using the make-up section 20, one end thereof is overlapped by, or overlaps the adjacent section end, as the case may be, and the slots 24 of section 20 are alined with slots 17, respective ly, of a section 10, for example. The members 30 are then employed to make the joint therebetween.

By the use of the fastening or bolting members 30 of the invention, the casing sections can be quickly and efiiciently connected and joined together at the well as the casing is put down thereinto, by a single workman from the exterior of the casing without requiring special or expensive equipment. lhe workman simply inserts the fastening members 30 in the casing slots and then tightens them into joint forming relation and position, all from the exterior of the casing, thus eliminating the difficulties hereinbefore discussed in the installation of Well and the like casings. The fastening members 30 are capable of low cost manufacture andcan be applied to Well casing of the standard or conventional types by the mere addition to such casing sections of the required slots. WVhile socket ends have been shown formed on the sections 10 and 20, such ends are not essential, as any other desired overlapping end formation can be employed if desired or found expedient.

It is also evident that various other forms, arrangements, combinations, and constructions might be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, and hence We do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact and specific disclosures hereof.

What we claim, is:

Connecting means between well casing sections of relatively large diameter having the end of one of said sections receiving and fitting over the end of the adjacent section to provide a seal therebetween, the overlapped end portions of the sections having alined slots therethrough at interwils thereeround, andfastening members comprising bolts having flat sided heads insertable through said alined slots, respectivelm from the exterior 3 90f the casin and'rotatable to positions there-' in held against outward displacement therei through, means forisealing said slots, and

, means for securing said members and sealing means in position clamping the overlapped 53 casing ends together to forma joint between and connecting the sections; v I Q Signed at Beatrice, Nebraska, this 2nd day of March, 1929. A j 1 HAROLD E, LAWRENCE. j

w 42.3 OLIVER CRONE. 

